Lead

Berlin police have confirmed that the suspect in the car-ramming attack near Tiergarten Park in central Berlin was shot and killed during a special operation, according to a statement posted on the police's official X account. The suspect, identified as Abdul Ballut, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese origin, died at the scene despite immediate resuscitation measures initiated by the Berlin Fire Department.

Coverage comparison

All reports on the incident come from TASS, the Russian state news agency, which has provided a series of updates since the attack late on July 25. Early reports focused on the detention of an alleged passenger of the vehicle, while later reports confirmed the death of the primary suspect. The coverage includes both factual details of the police operation and the broader context of the investigation.

Key claims

The attack

The incident occurred around 10:00 p.m. local time on July 25 near Tiergarten Park, close to Potsdamer Platz. A man driving a small white van plowed into a group of people, crashed into a tree, and then fled on foot. The suspect then attacked other pedestrians with a bladed weapon, believed to have been a machete, seriously injuring several more people.

One woman was killed and 29 people were injured in the attack. Berlin Fire Department spokesman Dominik Pretz said three of the injured remain in critical condition, while eight others sustained serious injuries and five suffered minor injuries.

The suspect

Police identified the suspect as Abdul Ballut, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent. According to a police spokesman, Ballut had previously come to the attention of law enforcement agencies and was classified as an Islamist militant in Berlin. Reports indicate he was a supporter of the Islamic State, a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia.

Ballut had previously been convicted of plotting a terrorist attack and had completed a mandatory deradicalization program. According to the newspaper Bild, he had been released from a juvenile correctional facility in May, as reported by Die Welt. Police also found the suspect's mobile phone in the vehicle used in the attack, Bild reported.

The police operation

In a statement on X, Berlin police said the suspect was located in an allotment garden facility in Spandau around 6 p.m. on July 26. According to the police, he rushed toward emergency forces with a stabbing weapon, prompting police firearms to be used by the SEK (Special Task Force) Berlin. Despite resuscitation efforts by the Berlin Fire Department, he died at the scene.

The detained passenger

Police detained the alleged passenger of the car that struck a group of people near Tiergarten Park, according to the radio station RBB. The arrest took place overnight, and the individual is an Iranian national. Police believe he was inside the vehicle at the time of the collision.

Perspectives

German authorities

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack. He also said the attack was likely carried out by a lone perpetrator, a characteristic he attributed to such attacks. The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Criminal Police Office announced that the investigation is being conducted on suspicion of a terrorist attack.